Trout and Jerusalem Couscous

I finally managed to track down Jerusalem couscous(also known as Israeli couscous) and in celebration, broke into my tiny stock of saffron for the occasion to enhance its flavor. Jerusalem couscous is made from durum wheat semolina and readily absorbs the flavors which it is cooked in.

Focaccia

I experimented with the no-knead bread dough and lo and behold; it worked. I simply added some olive oil (about 2 tablespoons) and malt (about 1 tablespoon) to the original recipe. The photos speak for themselves. The focaccia turned out delicious. If you are tempted to give it a try and have any questions, drop me a line.

Ingredients:

Dough:
3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons light virgin oil

Tomato topping:
 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half  and juice squeezed out
1 garlic clove finely minced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin oil
2 tablespoons grated parmigiano reggiano
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 -3/4 cup mozzarella,diced
salt
pepper


METHOD 

DOUGH:
The night before:

 

In a mixing bowl add the flour, the yeast and the salt. Using your hands or a wooden spoon, blend the dry ingredients.



Pour in 1 1/2 cup of water, 3 tablespoons of light virgin oil, and mix. Pull together the dough using your hands or a wooden spoon. 

Scrape any excess flour from the bottom and sides of the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well incorporated and form into a ball.  The dough will have a stringy texture.

Place a piece of plastic wrap on the bowl to avoid the dough from drying out. Allow to rise in a warm dry, and draft free place for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours. The photo to the right is dough that has risen overnight.

The next day: 
Transfer the dough to a greased and floured 12 " pizza tray. Dust the dough  lightly with flour, and with your hands spread out to the edges of your pizza pan, forming a disk. Drizzle with oil and season with salt.  Sprinkle fresh or dried rosemary on the top.  Place in a draft free place to allow to rise a second time for 1-2 hours
.

Topping:
While the dough is rising, prepare the topping by adding the prepared tomatoes in a bowl and tossing in the olive oil, parmigiano reggiano, the smoked  mozzarella, the minced garlic, oregano and seasoning with salt and pepper.
Once the dough has risen a second time spread  the tomato cheese topping gently on the focaccia dough.

Bake in a pre-heated 500º F oven for 15-20 minutes.

Haricots Verts Amandine

Haricots verts are smaller, slender, green beans; with a more complex flavour and tend to be more tender than the traditional string beans we are accustomed to.


Haricots Verts Amandine
In a sauce pan or double boiler cook a pound of haricots verts for about five minutes. They should still be crunchy. Strain the beans and place them in a bowl filled with ice water; to help retain their vibrant green colour. Once again, strain the beans and set aside. In a saute pan heat about three tablespoons of butter. Add one third cup of sliced almonds and toast. Toss in the beans ; season with salt and continue to cook for a minute or two. Squeeze one half of lemon juice over the beans and garnish with chopped parsley. Serves 4 to 6

"Hallelujah"

Just before calling it a night; I made a last attempt to retrieve my lost data and low and behold, it worked.

Hi everyone,
This is not a new recipe post, but rather a plea for patience and understanding as I attempt to work out the glitches on my blog site. I swear that if there is any truth to reincarnation, I will request to come back as a computer geek and (though unrelated) with a fabulous singing voice. To get back to my computer woes, I was in a total panic this morning; when either through a will of its own,(much like the car Christine in that movie, or through Google's unwanted divine intervention of modifying its templates, or my own unbridled enthusiasm to push another button,(like Alice in Wonderland), my blog template was changed in shape and size. So the adventurous but naive me, decided to enter deeper into the virtual labyrinth of the computer world and rectify the situation; only to find myself in a new realm, beyond my control. Similar to a good Star Wars movie, you lose some warriors along the way as did I. My Followers were annihilated as was my intro to the blog. Even the ads, my new e-store and my fish bit the dust. I am in total mourning, but through my grief will find the courage or the idiocy to go where no computer illiterate dare to go and attempt to avenge their demise. So please continue to log on to see where this unwanted adventure transports me to next. Unfortunately, there appears to be no instant solution; no ruby slippers to take me home to Kansas, at least for now.

Zelinda's Medley....Pasta with Marinara Sauce, Meatballs and Rapini

This was a familiar combination at my parent's dinner table. Even with the test of time, it remains not only a great standby but one of my own family's favorite dishes. Nothing beats my mom's meatball recipe, so tender and tasty, that it is hard to just have one.To complete the dish , rapini with its slightly bitter taste is a nice balance to the sweetness of the tomato sauce.

Whole Wheat No Knead Bread

I know that some of you have been wondering about the possibility of adapting the original no knead bread recipe to whole wheat.  The answer is yes; as you can see from my finished product. Simply follow the recipe posted earlier but cut the amount of white flour in half, and add 11/2 cups of whole wheat flour.  The loaf  is then baked in a traditional loaf pan, at a slightly lower temperature.  I doubled the recipe;and baked the loaves at 475 degrees F. in two greased loaf pans. The results were better than expected. The bread freezes well and slices more easily, compared to other bread recipes.  It is great for sandwiches and of course toast.  Try making French toast, it is much more delicious than using store bought bread. Don't forget to drop me a line and let me know how your bread turns out.